Sleeping Bear Dunes

We spent Sunday & Monday at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and found a spot at the D.H. Day Campground which operates on a first-come-first-serve basis. There were quite a few spots available, and all of them were really nice. Although, if we were towing a bigger trailer, or if we were a motorhome that needed to make wide turns, I don’t think we would have found a spot. The campground road was narrow and twisty with lots of low overhanging trees. Not a spot for big rigs. There is another campground in the park that has bigger sites, but since it takes reservations and has modern amenities like electric hookups and a shower house, they were completely booked for practically the entire summer.

Our spot among the trees. Tim backed us all the way onto the tent platform so for once we were completely level.

D.H. Day is a primitive campground, meaning there are no electric hookups and only pit toilets. Luckily we travel with our own toilet and can handle not having electric hookups for a few days no problem. Actually, we could go a long time without an electric hookup, but this park was generator free, so eventually, we would have run out of juice. The best part of the campground…the beach! Only a few minutes from our campground was a sandy beach with clear turquoise water.

Lake Michigan

As you can see this beach was a bit rockier than the one at Claybanks Park. Lots of little round smooth pebbles everywhere.

Rocks mixed with sand

Not as nice on the feet as an all sandy beach, but the water was very nice and all 3 of us enjoyed some swimming time.

Tim way out on the sandbar

We also enjoyed two hikes in the national park. The first one we took without Phineas because it was in no dog area. Sleeping Bear is actually very dog-friendly for a national park. Phin was allowed on some beaches and some hiking trails. Many national parks don’t allow dogs on any trails or beaches, so this is the place to go if you have a pooch with you. It was probably for the best that he didn’t come on the first hike because it was 2 hours of hiking out in the blazing sun on a very soft, hot sand. The trail started off nice enough with a wooden boardwalk winding down through the dunes.

on the boardwalk

Soon enough though the surface switched to deep sand which gave us a serious leg work out, especially on the uphill sections!

A difficult surface for hiking on

Tim consults the trail map

Look how much sand I had in my shoes at the end of the hike!

An entire beach in my shoe!

The hike was located off the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive which travels through roughly seven miles of forest, dunes, and overlooks. We stopped at the Lake Michigan overlook, which at 450 feet above the water, offers a spectacular view of the lake below.

Looking over the edge of the observation deck

It’s hard to get a feel from the photos for just how steep the sand dune down to the water was. See those crazy people way down there? I can guarantee that the hike back up is going to be ridiculously difficult. In fact, the park posted signs at the top telling people not to climb down the dunes and a warning that if you get heat exhaustion on the way back up you will be charged for rescue services. There will always be the kind of people for which those signs are more of a challenge than anything though- not me! We were happy just to look over the edge.

Crazy people at the bottom trying to hike back up

On Monday we went for another hike (this time Phineas got to come) in a different part of the park. It was a nice hike through the forest, up to an overlook and back down through more forest. The entire trail was a little more than 2 miles long but most people only hiked the first section to the overlook and then went back to their cars. We did the whole trail and only saw one other person on the lookout.

Phineas longingly looking over the edge at the water wayyy below

Self portrait at the overlook

How these trees live in all this sand, I will never understand

Part way through the hike we came across a steep sandy uphill trail right in the middle of the forest. It was a strange sight. Tim and Phin hiked up to see if there was a vie, but after the sandy hike the day before I decided to stay at the bottom with sand-free shoes.

up the sandy hill

and back down…

Sleeping Bear Dunes was a pretty awesome spot to spend a few days. There were more hikes and more beaches to explore but since we’re anxious to get to the Upper Peninsula we must keep moving. The western coast of Michigan has been an extremely pleasant surprise and we’re already thinking that we need to come back in a few years when we have more time to explore.

One last shot of the water

I almost forgot! Phineas loved the campground because he was able to dig himself a nice hole in the soft sand outside the airstream. Here he is lounging in his hole. It was too funny not to share!

About The Watsons

This is the story of Tim & Amanda. Since 2012, we have traveled the U.S. while living and working from our renovated 25-foot Airstream. Follow us on our crazy journey in search of beautiful scenery, fun adventures, interesting people, tasty foods, and more…